Moistening device for tobacco-packaging machines



I a. w. GWINN. MOISTENING DEVICE FOR TOBACCO PACKAGING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI8,1920- 1,365,400. Patented Jan. 11,1921.

Z all whom it may concem:

UNITED sr T-Es PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WILBUR PACKING a LABELIVZNJ moxs'rannire Be it known that I,GEORGE W. GWINN, a citizen of'the United States, residing at Brooklyn,county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Moisteni-ng Devices for Tobacco-Packaging Machines, of.which the following is a specification. This invention relates to animprovement in moistening devices for tobacco packaging machines.

In machines for packaging tobacco in which a plunger is used to ram'thetobacco into a partially formed inclosing wrapper, considerable troubleis experienced due to the accumulation ofv a stickysubstance exudingfrom the tobacco and adhering to the operating surface of ,the, plunger.This sticky substance must. be removed at fre--."

quent intervals in order to prevent the re treating plunger from carryinwithv it a part of the tobacco charge, an ordinarily the machine must bestopped every time the plunger is cleaned. The main object of thepresent invention isthe production of a ,moistening device for suchmachines which will automatically wipe the operating surface of theplunger every time itis operated, thus eliminating machine stoppage andincreasing machine output. WVith this and other obpects not specificallymentioned in view, the

machine consists in certain constructions therefrom, and a travelingplunger-wiping and -combinations which will be hereinafter fullydescribed and then specifically pointed out in the claims hereunto.appended- In the accompanying drawing, which formsa part of thisspecification and in which like characters of reference indicate thesame or like parts, Figure -1 is a plan view of a deviceconstructed inaccordance with the invention and shown inoperative position on afragment of a tobacco packaging machine well known in the art; and Fig.2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, but 'on an enlargedscale and partly shown. in section.

In carrying the invention into effect, there is provided a source ofmoisture supply, a moisture applying device associated with said sourceof supply and deriving moisture pad intermittently contacting with saiddevice to receive moisture therefrom and adapted to contact with andthus wipe the operating surface of the machine plunger.

' of the-packaging machine proper.

in iron *i'OBAcCQ-PACKAGING MACHINES.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an, 11, 1921 Applicationfiled May 18, 1920. Serial No. 382,276.

In the best constructions, a: series of traveling plunger-wiping pads,which intermittentlyand successively contact with the moisturesupplyingdevice and with the machine plunger, is employed; and the plunger wipingpads are mounted on an intermittently rotatable turret forming a partThe above indicated parts and devices may be varied in constructionwithin the scope of the claims. The particular device selected toillustrate the invention is but one of many possible concreteembodiments of the same, and the invention therefore is not to berestricted tothe precise details of the specific structure shown anddescribed. I

Referring to the drawings, 3 indicates an intermittently rotating turretof a tobacco packaging machine provided with a series of packagingpockets land a corresponding series of plunger-wiping pads 5 formed offelt or othersuitable moisture retaining sub-- stance, each pad beingheld in place on the turret by means'ofa supporting plate 6'and sideplates 7 screwed to theturret, as clearly shown in the drawing.

R'sing from the main frame of the machine in connection with which thedevice is used, is a bracket 8 which supports an in-' closed reservoir'9provided with a removable cover 10.. The cover 10 has a filling aperture11 therein, and this aperture is normally closed by mean's of a coveringplate 12 plvotedon a screw 13 and having an upturned lug 14 by means ofwhich it maybe swung to one side to expose the'filllng aperture 11.

F orthe reason that water coming in contact with tobacco during apackaging oper-" ation tends to produce mold, the liquid used in thereservoir 9 is preferably an innocuous mixture of glycerin and rumwhichhas no injurious effect upon the tobacco. The reservoir 9 isadapted to hold suflicient liquld to last throughout a half days runwithout machine stoppagej Associated with the reservoir 9 and supportedthereby, is a moisture applying roller 15 which lies in the path of theplungerwiping pads 5 as the turret is rotated and contactswith saidpads. For the purpose of keeping thesurface of the roller 15 moist thereis provided a wick 16 partlv immersed in the liquid in the reservo1r andsupported by a curved plate 17 screwed to the reservoir wall nearestsaid roller. This wick is protransfer its moisture to the next pad. The

pads 5 are thus kept constantly moistened and immediately after theplunger has descended and rammed a charge of tobacco through one of thepockets at, before referred to, the adjacent pad comes into contact withits lower operating surface and wipes it clean, thus preventingaccumulation thereon of the sticky substance which exudes from thetobacco.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tobacco packaging machine, the

combination with a source of moisture suply, of a moisture applyingdevice associv ated with said source of supply, and a travel a ingplunger-wiping pad intermittently conof a moisture applying deviceassociated name to this specification.

tacting with said device to receive moisture therefrom.

2. In a tobacco packaging machine, the combinationwith a source ofmoisture sup-- ply, of a moisture applying device associated with saidsource of supply, anda series of traveling plunger-wiping pads intermitvtently and successively contacting withsaid device to receive moisturetherefrom.

3. In a tobacco packing machine, the com-- bination with a source ofmoisture supply,

with said source of supply, and an intermittently rotatable turretprovided with a series of plunger-wiping pads successively 1 from.

contacting with said device to receive moiscombination with a liquidreservoir sup- I porting a moisture applying device, of a travelingplunger-wiping pad intermittently contacting with said device to receivemoisture'therefrom. V

6. In a tobacco packaging machine, the combination with a liquidreservoir supporting a moisture applying roller, of a travelingplunger-wip ng pad intermittently contactlng. and rotating said roller-to' receive moisture, therefrom.

7. In a'tobacco packaging machine, the

combination with a liquid inclosed reservoir supporting a moistureapplying roller and a spout inclosing a wick for keeping saidrollermoist, ofa traveling plunger-wiping pad intermittently contactingwith and rotating said rollerto receive moisture there- 8. In acombination with a liquid inclosed reservoir supporting a moistureapplying roller and a spout inclosing a wick for keeping said rollermoist, of an-intermittently rotatable turret provided with a series ofplungerwiping pads successively contacting with and rotating said rollerto receive moisture therefrom.

Intestlmonywhereof, I have signed my ensonei: WIILBUR. GWINN.

tobacco packaging machine, the;

